Building unit of generally right triangular form



June 2,9, `1948. M. o. GRoA'r BUILDING UNIT OF- GENERALLY RIGHT TRIANGULA FORMS` med may 11, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet JNVENroR. MARSHALL o. Geom NO O D O.

ATTORNEYS M. o. GRoAT June 29, 1948.

BUILDING UNIT 0F GENERALLY RIGHT TRIAGULR FORMS Filed May 11 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MARsHA n.1. o. GRoAT ATTOR NEYS Patented June 29, 194s BUILDING UNIT oF GENERALLY RIGHT TRIANGULAR FORM Marshall 0. Groat, Bad Axe, Mich., assignor to Mid-West .Wood Products Company, Bad Axe, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 11, 1943, serial No. 486,561

' (ci. 10s-'1) 8 Claims.

Fig.v 3 is a cross section similar to Fig. 1 of a half unit;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section illustrating a portion of an outer and an inner wall` formed'from units;

' 'which is formed from the units A with a unit E Fig. 5 is fa vertical cross section through a iioorv l and ceiling construction -formed from units; and

` Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating a roof and ceiling construction.

My improved unit `may be for-med of various materials such as wood, composition'boa-rd, ply

board, etc. In cross section it has the general form of a right angle triangle, the sides and hy- `potenuse of which are stormed from separate members united by strips at the three angles. Longitudinally the unit may lbe of any desired lengthv but preferably of certain `standard lengths which are suitable for its various uses.

In detail and asillustrated in Fig. 1, A is a unit comprising the side members B and B and the hypotenuse member C of a right triangle. D, D' and D2 are corner strips which are mortised or rabbeted to receive the opposite edge portions `of the sides A and B and to hold the same. in

` right angular relation to each other. .The member C bears against the strips D' and D2 and extends slightly beyond the same -to l leave rectangular recesses C and C2 adjacent to said strips.

. reversed in position.

The members D, D' and D2 are preferably formed of wood but the members A, B and C may be formed of various materials such as wood, composition board, lply board and other materials. The strip D is of rectangular form to 4project beyond lthe planes of the outer faces'of the -members B an'd B.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of a smaller unit E which is one half the size of the unit in Fig. 1. In other words, the hypotenuse F is equal in Width to each of the sides B and B of the unit A while the sides G and G are one-half the length of the hypotenuse C of' the unit A. Thus, two of the units E when placed together'will be equal at its corner. I is an'outer side wall at right angles to the wall H which also is formed of -units A with a unit E completing the rectangle to form the joint with the wall H. An'inner or partition Wall J is formed in the same manner and it will be noted that this partition niay be placed in any position limited only by the fact that it must beso located as -to accommodate the unit spacing of any intervening'partition. For example, with two parallel partitions connected .by a third partition perpendicular thereto, .the distance between the parallel partitions must be equal to the summation of the units used to form the third partition. or the summation of the units plus onehalf unit. It will also be noted -that adjacent units are reversely facing andthat the corner strip D oi a unit facing in one direction lies between the corner strips D', D2' of an adjacent c-ppositely facing unit filling respectively the recesses C and C2. j

For'building of floors the units A may, if desired, ybe modified by substituting for the strip D a strip D3 of sufllcient width to extend to the hypotenuse member C. Thus, the strips D3 form in eiect iioor joists which contribute additional strength and rigidity to the fioorstructure. Also the members C of the upper uni-ts are preferably formed ofwood instead of composition Iboard.

therwise, the floor is formed in Ithe same manner as the walls with the units` A alternately The members C of the downturnedl units A form the ceiling and may, if desired, be formed of plywood.

Fig. 6 illustrates a roof and ceiling construc- 4 tion which, in general, is the same as the floor and ceiling shown in Fig. 5 but differs therefrom by a 4slight spacing of the upper and lower units. This spacing may be accomplished by the use of spacer strips K at the several angles of the-units which separate the sides B, B of one vunit from the corresponding sides of the adjacent unit. The members C of the upturned units are preferably formed of insulation board and are covered with any suitable roong material as indicatedv at L.

` The sides and the hypotenuse members of the unitare secured to the strips D,.D, D2 preferably by nailing but they may also be glued to- 3 gether if so desired. Adjacent similarly turned units may be secured to each other by nailing the extensions of the hypotenuse members C thereof to the strip D of the adjacent reversely turned unit which strip they overlap so as to abut against each other.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A building unit comprising an extended structure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of flat hypotenuse and side members joined to each other by integral corner strips recessed to receive the opposite edges of the side members and rigidly secured thereto the strip at the right angle corner being of rectangular cross section andproj'ecting outward beyond the sides, said hypotenuse member extending at its opposite ends beyond the corner strips to which it is attached to form recesses for receiving the projecting rectangular corner strip of an adjacent reversely facingv unit.

2. A building unit comprising an extended structure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of iiat hypotenuse and side members joined to each other by integral corner strips recessed to receive the opposite edges of the side members and rigidly secured thereto the strip at the rightl angle corner being of rectangular cross section and projecting outward beyond thesides, said hypotenuse member exf tending at its oppositeends beyond the corner strips to which it is attached to form recesses for receiving the projecting rectangular corner strip of an adjacent reversely facing unit and so as to overlap said strip and abut against the hypotenuse member of an adjacent unit facing in the same direction.

3. A building structure formed of a plurality of building units, each unit comprising an extended structure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of flat hypotenuse and side members joined to each other 'by integral corner strips and rigidly secured thereto, said units being arranged to be alternately reversely facing with the hypotenuse member of one unit overlapping and secured to the strip securing the sides of the adjacent reversely facing unit, A

4. A building structure formed of a plurality of building units, each unit comprising an extended structure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of fiat hypotenuse and side members joined to each other by integral corner strips and rigidly secured thereto, said units being arranged to be alternately reversely facing with the hypotenuse member of one unit overlapping and secured to the strip securing the sides of the adjacent reversely facing unit and a half unit similar in form to the aforesaid unit for completing a rectangular end of said building structure.

5. A oor and ceiling building structure formed of a plurality of building units, each unit comprising an extended structure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of fiat hypotenuse and side members joined to each other by integral corner strips and rigidly secured thereto, said units being arranged'to `be alternately reversely facing with the hypotenuse member of one unit overlapping-and secured to the strip securing the sides of the adjacent reversely facing unit, certain of the upwardly facing units having the central corner strip thereof extended to abut against the hypotenuse member and to form in eect a oor joist.

6. A floor and ceiling building structure formed of a plurality of building units, each unit comprising an extended structure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of flat hypotenuse and side members joined, to each other by integral corner strips and rigidly secured thereto, said units bein`g arranged to be alternatelyreversely facing with the hypotenuse member ofl one unit overlapping and'secured to the strip securing the sides of the adjacent reversely facing unit, certain of the upwardly facing units having Vthe central corner strip thereof extended to abutagainst the hypotenuse member and to form in effect a oor joist, the hypotenuse members of the upwardly facing units forming the floor and the hypotenuse members of the downwardly facing units forming the ceiling.

7. 4A roof and ceiling building structure formed of a plurality of building units, each unit comprising an extendedstructure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of flat hypotenuse and side members joined to each other by-integral corner strips and rigidly secured thereto, said units being arranged to be alternately reversely facing with the hypotenuse member of one unit overlapping and secured to the strip securing the sides of the reversely facing unit, the hypotenuse member of each upwardly facing unit being formed of insulating material and roofing material laid upon said insulating hypotenuse members.

8. Aroof and ceiling building structure formed of a plurality of building units, each unit comprising an extended structure of a general right triangular cross section and composed of flat hypotenuse and side members joined to each` other by integral corner strips and rigidly secured thereto, said units being arranged to be alternately reversely facing with the hypotenuse mem- .f

ber of one unit overlapping and secured to the strip securing the sides of the reversely facing unit, the hypotenuse member of each upwardly facing unit being formed of insulating material, spacer strips arranged between the adjacent corner strips of the upwardly and downwardly facing units to space the roof portion from the ceiling portion, and roong material laid upon the upwardly facing units.

MARSHALL O. GROAT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain May 12, 1919 

